This is my first post.This is the excerpt from the test paper i wrote for my IA during my M.A. English.

                                          Shakespeare and Feminism. 

Shakespeare’s writings had always been considered to be written for male entertainment. A critic  Mc luskie quotes in the favour of this statement by stating that Shakespeare  “wrote for a male entertainment” and people also agree to this view generally held by most of the readers. But many modern critics do not agree with this and claimed that Shakespeare was a feminist. Here I would like to quote views of a Shapiro who claimed that Shakespeare was “the noblest feminist of all”. However I also agree with view held by Shapiro. Shakespeare with his extraordinary genius of portraying human behaviour depicted the condition of women within a patriarchal society and created female characters which in their extraordinary characteristics transcend the limitations of his (Shakespeare’s) time.

In this essay I will prominently focus on Shakespeare’s three famous tragedies Othello, Hamlet and Antony and Cleopatra and treatment of three heroine’s Desdemona, Ophelia and Cleopatra and the effects of a male dominated society upon these characters.

Famous tragedy Othello can be seen in the light of outcomes of a submissiveness to patriarchal rules and stereotypes.  Gayle greene summarises this position in her claim that the tragedy of Othello could be seen as “men’s understanding of women and women’s inability to protect themselves from society’s conception of them” or rather we might say it is men and women’s misconception of women’s. “I am a child to chiding” the dialogue by Desdemona (talking to Iago ) after  Othello had struck her and spoken harshly under the influence of jealousy highlights her helplessness against the Othello and influence of a society that makes women the weaker and dependent sex ,in turn making her unequipped to tackle with such aggression. Desdomona’s childlike behaviour could be seen as an advance to escape from reality. Dreher rightly puts “following conventional patterns of behavior “for females “these women lose their autonomy and intimacy and do not achieve adulthood”

Greene puts it in favor of the view of men’s misunderstanding of women by saying that “iago’s manipulation of Othello, the cause of tragedy, occurs only because of the views of women the moor already possessed”, this is a quite convincing argument, for Othello readily accepting the conventional view about his wife based on the authority of a male voice thus losing sight of real Desdemona.

Towards the end of the play Othello justifies his act of murdering of Desdemona by asserting that he did so not “in malice” , rather as a man “ that loved not wisely but too well”. This dialogue by Othello highlights the perilous position of love in society submerged in stereotypes. Othello’s act could seen as an outcome of his wish to erase Desdemona’s sexuality and potential for infidelity and his excessive love for Desdemona harnessed with stereotypical view of perfect woman hood  and his fear of her endorsed by society as whore – “yet she must die ,else she’ll betray more men”.  Iago’s ingratiations developed the crack between Othello’s sense of Desdemona s angel and the fear of her as whore and left Othello in a void of confusion and doubt:

“By the world,

I think my wife be honest, and think she is not.

I think thou (Iago) art just, and then think thou art not.”

Ophelia in hamlet certainly seems a victim figure under the influence of the fact that throughout the play she seems completely at the mercy of the male figures. Hamlet’s Uniqueness among the tragic hero’s cannot be denied however in lieu of the tragedy of the play hamlet’s innocence and his treatment of Ophelia  need to be questioned if we are to consider the death of the heroine as the part of this tragedy. Or in other words Ophelia had been used as a tool in hamlet’s revenge plan throughout the play.

However hamlet’s unpardonable treatment of Ophelia could be seen as an outcome of another female in the play - Queen Gertrude. By not remaining in passive grief and obedient devotion, she transgresses the patriarchal bounds feminity. This acquaints hamlet with a view of women’s infidelity and seeding the belief that all women are untrustworthy. Here I would like to quote from the text in the favour of this statement: “frailty thy name is woman”. Another critic White puts this in his words that hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia can be seen as “guilt and pollution” he believes to exist in Gertrude’s behaviour. However Ophelia’s sufferings are the outcome of hamlet’s patriarchal values and stereotypical views of womanhood. Ophelia rejects hamlet’s advances which of course she believes to be genuine and silently obeyed her father and brother’s expostulation against her pursuing a relationship with hamlet and thus when ahe pretends to be mad she believes it to be her fault. A deep sorrow can be seen in her speech:

“and I of ladies, most dejected and wretched

That sucked honey of his music vows……

O woe is me”.

Also Polonius’s insistence to king Claudius act as a fortification to ophelia’s feeling of guilt:

“but yet I do believe

The origin and commencement of this grief

Sprung from neglected love”

 Thus when hamlet murders her father Ophelia enters into double realm of guilt blaming herself for both hamlet’s madness and her father’s death. As a result she becomes mad. This decline into madness can be seen under the light of two contrasts at one level it sets her up as a victim figure of male patriarchy and on the contrary It can be seen as an active rejection of patriarchal confinement.

This idea of patriarchal confinement is again laid upon in yet another famous play Antony and Cleopatra. However this play is different from others as in the play the gender roles are inverted and Antony turns out to be the victim. Smothered by the rules of patriarchal society of Rome which expects him to retain a masculine side only and shedding the feminine qualities of passion, emotion and love which leads to Antony’s diminishing control over his life. Antony was unable to abide by this principle of patriarchal laws like after he experienced an extraordinary love with Cleopatra. Antony’s troth escalates when he is rushed into an arranged marriage with Octavia. His speech:

“Though I make this marriage for my peace,

I’th’ east my pleasure lies”.

Clearly shows his deep and genuine love for Cleopatra and his unfaithfulness to the symbol of Caesar and roman patriarchal power -Octavia.

 His act of returning to Cleopatra in Egypt leads to war. The words spoken by philo in the opening part of the play

“nay but this dotage of our general’s

O’erflows the measure”.

Exemplify growing condemnation of Antony’s untraditional, behaviour, which is not confined within the bounds of patriarchy.

W.Baker’s view of the play” throughout the play” Antony “is suffering from a disease, his passion for Cleopatra which obsessed his mind and which causes him to desert his public responsibilities” highlights the fact that how shamefully patriarchal male’s view the Antony’s devotion towards Cleopatra. However Antony does not completely defies all the patriarchal norms. He judges himself by the standard of patriarchy, in  his dejection and shame due to his diminished political power  he claim

“o thy vile lady,

She has robbed me of my sword”.

However Antony is not degraded by diminishing power but through his love of Cleopatra envelops a manhood of stronger parameters. The end of the play shows love winning over the politics; this can be seen as a testimonial of love. His act of committing suicide, choosing Egypt over Rome shows him as a conqueror. 

Cleopatra turns out to be the dominating force of the play like Othello in Othello and Ophelia in hamlet.